Question:How do I determine the OS installed in my unit?Answer: On the 777, Mobius, Revolution, and Orb units, hold the Run/Stop (or Play) key and turn the power on. The OS revision will be displayed as R?.?? as long as the key is held. With the 777, if nothing happens when you do this procedure, you have an earlier OS than V2.00 installed.

Question:I just bought a used unit and nothing happens when I try to play a sequence.Answer: More than often, the previous owner has left the MIDI mode set to EXT or ON, which means the unit is ready to play notes from an external MIDI controller, or be synced to an external MIDI clock. To change this MIDI setting, go into Song mode, select MIDI and change the setting to INT, or OFF (depending on your OS). Be sure to fully exit the MIDI pages before starting playback.

Question:I lost my product manual. Where can I get another?Answer: Product manuals are now available on the Downloads page of this site.

Question:I lost my power supply and bought a replacement from the local electronics store, but now the unit sounds more distorted than usual, especially when I am in Pattern Edit mode.Answer: It sounds like you're using a DC output adapter. The 777, Mobius, Revolution, and Orb all use a 12V AC output adapter rated @ 1000 mA or 1 Amp. DC output adapters should not harm these units; however, they will not provide enough current to power the unit properly. If you lose your power supply, you may purchase a new one directly from us by clicking on the Order page of this site.

Question:Help, my unit is not powering up properly. I turn it on and the characters in the display keep circling around, or different characters than usual are being displayed.Answer: If the power on the 777, Mobius, Revolution, or Orb is ever unplugged or turned off while it is playing, certain information may not have been written to memory correctly. When powered up, the unit may appear to be stuck in a loop. To fix this, you need to perform a soft reset to the unit as follows. Start with the unit's power off, press and hold Step Key 1, and turn the power on. Continue to hold Step Key 1 until the display introduction stops. Playback will now default to pattern 1 bank 1, and none of your internal patterns should be harmed.
If you continue to notice that the unit is not powering up correctly, you most likely need to replace the internal back-up battery in your unit, then perform a soft reset to the unit, and finally, reload the factory sysex patterns or your own patterns you have backed up.

Question:The patterns in my unit have become randomized, and the unit no longer stores the patterns I've programmed.Answer: You need to replace the internal back-up battery for the RAM. Both the 777 and the Mobius use a 3-volt coin type lithium battery, model CR2325. This battery will generally last for up to ten years of use in these units.

The Revolution and Orb units use a 3.6 volt AA size lithium battery, model TL-5104/P (with solder leads) or model TL-5104/S (without solder leads). (Please note there was a typo in the Revolution Owner's manual regarding this battery type.) This battery will have a life expectancy of about 1.5 years in the white-faced Revolution units, due to the extra current drawn from the RAM used in its design. The grey-faced Revolution R2 and Orb units use the same type of battery, but due to a different RAM chip used in these units, this battery will last around ten years. The first couple hundred Revolution units produced used a battery with solder leads, while units thereafter have all been fitted with a battery holder. Tip: when replacing the Revolution's battery, you may wish to install a AA battery holder in place of the battery with solder leads to elliminate any future soldering in those earlier units. Use good double sided tape to fasten the holder to either the PC board or the bottom chassis. In this case you will then want to use an equivalent lithium battery rated at around 2000 mAh such as model ER14505. Note the higher the mAh rating, the longer the battery will last. Also, the more you leave your unit powered on, the longer these internal back up batteries will last, as the unit only relies on the batteries while the unit is turned off.

Question:How do I replace the battery in my Revolution?Answer: To install a new battery in your unit, you will first need to open the unit, replace the battery, perform a soft reset to the unit, and then reload the factory sysex files.

Before opening the unit, be sure to disconnect the power cord from the unit, and be sure to ground yourself, or elliminate any electrostatic discharges. Also be sure to back up your existing patterns and songs using the sysex dump feature so they can be reloaded after the battery installation.

To open the unit, pull directly up on the control knobs to remove them. Notice that the two Remix controls and the Effect Select control fit a different sized shaft, so set these aside so they are not mixed with the other knobs.

Remove the six silver socket head screws using a 7/64" allen wrench. There are three located at the bottom front of the unit, and three on the rear of the unit.

Now pull the front panel directly up and off of the unit.

Remove the silver philips screws located on the outside of the bottom chassis. The two PC boards can then be removed as a single piece. The back-up battery is located at the front bottom right corner of the large PC board. In some units the battery will be soldered into place, while other units will have a battery holder installed. Before removing the old battery, note the placement of the positive terminal of the battery. The positive terminal should connect to the right side of the PC board. Be sure to use only a AA sized lithium battery rated at 3.6 volts, with a current rating of 1,900 mAh or higher. (See previous question for possible replacement battery types.)

After the battery is installed, place the PC boards back into the bottom chassis (make sure that the jumper wires do not get pinched between the PC board standoffs and the chassis), install the philips screws, place the front panel back on the unit (and note you may need to pull out slightly on the side panels when reinstalling the front panel.) Then install the six socket head screws and the knobs.

Once the unit is back together you will first need to do a soft reset, and then reload the factory patterns or your own patterns via sysex. For more information on these procedures, see the following Q&As.

Question:How do I do a soft reset?Answer: A soft reset will initialize all the internal parameters of the sequencer to a default value within the usable range. This applies to the 777, Mobius, Revolution, and Orb units. A soft reset will not harm your internal patterns, nor will it load the factory patterns. To do a soft reset, start with the unit off, hold down Step Key 1 and turn the power on. Continue to hold Step Key 1 until the LEDs stop circling around the display. Playback should then resume to normal with parameters set to our default settings.

Question:How do I do a sysex dump?Answer: Sysex dumps are used to transfer pattern and song information to and from the 777, Mobius, Revoluiton and Orb units. Since the 777 and Mobius use the same pattern/song format, you may transfer patterns and songs from one unit to the other, or to a computer. The Revolution and Orb units also use the same pattern/song format, you may transfer patterns and songs from one unit to the other, or to a computer. To reload the factory patterns and songs for the 777, Mobius, Revolution, and Orb, first you need to download the factory sysex Zip file located on each product's Download page, unzip the file, and save it on your computer. Next you will need to use a sysex program such as MIDI-OX if you are using a PC, or Sysex Librarian if you are using a Mac. Either program can be downloaded online for free; just do a Google search for them.

Connect the MIDI Out of your computer to the MIDI In of the 777, Mobius, Revolution or Orb. Go into the Song mode of our unit, enter the Sysex pages, and set our unit to Load using the up/down keys. Next be sure to press the Run/Stop key on the 777 and Mobius, or the Play key on the Revoluiton and Orb to cue up our unit to receive the sysex dump. Then open up one of the above-mentioned sysex software programs and load either the pattern or song file into the program, one at a time. Then use that program to transmit or send the sysex data to our unit. Note that if you are sending both the pattern and song files, you will need to press the Run/Stop or Play key on our unit before each dump to cue it up to receive the information.

When the transfer is complete, be sure to exit the Sysex pages and the Song mode. Playback should then resume to normal.

Question:I'm encountering problems when playing or syncing the FR unit with a computer or DAW.Answer: Sometimes problems can occur when playing our units with a DAW or computer setup. When using computers as the master sequencer, clock, or controller sending MIDI data to our unit there are several factors that you need to keep in mind to provide the best performance. First make sure the computer is fast enough to handle running your software applications and the MIDI interface. This is generally based on the speed of the computer's processor and how many tasks it is trying to perform, the computer's RAM, and in some cases how defragmented your computer's hard drive is, or the amount of MIDI data you are generating and the speed of your MIDI interface.

Second, always filter out the transmission of all unnecessary MIDI data being transmitted to our units, because it takes time for the computer to send this information and then more time for our unit to interpret the MIDI data, whether it uses this data or not. There are usually two ways to filter out unnecessary MIDI data within a computer. The first would be within the software application that is functioning as your MIDI sequencer. The other possibility is within the software controlling your computer's MIDI interface.

To achieve the best possible MIDI performance when using a computer to control our units, you should filter out or avoid sending unused MIDI commands to our units such as MIDI CC messages, Aftertouch, MTC, MMC, etc.

Question:What's the difference between the white Revolution units and the grey R2 Revolution units?Answer: The R2 Revolution units have a new PC board layout that uses a different RAM chip. The new RAM chip draws less current from the internal backup battery, which then allows the backup batteries in the R2 units to last for approximately 10 years, instead of 1.5 years as in the white Revolution models. Obviously there is the chassis color change to help signify the different RAM chip used within these units. In addition, R2 units come with OS version 2.00 installed. This new OS shifts the incoming and outgoing usable range of MIDI notes from C2-D#7. This was done because most 5-octave keyboards will have their lowest note be MIDI note C2, and C2-C7 is the also the playable range for our XS synthesizer. In addition, version 2.00 OS fixes a MIDI bug that would sometimes not send a correct Note-Off message when you stopped playback while the sequencer was gliding a note. It also fixes a MIDI song position pointer error that existed in the Song mode.

Question:What is Future Retro's warranty policy?Answer: All of our products come with a 1 year limited warranty covering failure of components being electric or mechanical. For your warranty to be effective, users must register their unit within 30 days of purchase. Product warranty is not valid if you purchase the item used, or from any other source not listed as an authorized Future Retro dealer on our website. Your warranty will also be void if we find the product failure was due to modifications, improper use, or damage incurred by the user's own actions. Should you encounter a problem with your product and require warranty repair, please contact Future Retro directly to inquire about returning the item for repair. Customers will be responsible for all costs involved in sending a product in for repair. Once your product is received we will determine the cause of failure, and review your warranty status. If the product is found to be under warranty, and not void for any reason, the product will be repaired or replaced at our discretion, and shipped to the customer at no additional fees. If warranty is found to be void for any reason, customer will be responsible for all costs involved in the repair or replacement of the product.

Question:What is Future Retro's return policy?Answer: Customers may return any product within 30 days of the original purchase date, as long as the item was purchased directly through the Future Retro website. Products returned for refund must be returned in the original package/box with all original material, packed in the same manner it was received when new. Customers must contact Future Retro directly to obtain a RMA number and all required instructions before sending their unit in. Customers will be responsible for all costs involved in returning the unit to Future Retro. A 20% restocking fee will apply to all returned products. If any product items are found to be missing, or show signs of wear and use, additional fees may apply at our discretion. Refunds for returned products will be issued within 30 days, after the item has been received by Future Retro and all contents inspected. Refunds will be issued to the original form of payment used at the time of purchase.
Products purchased through our network of dealers will be subject to that dealer's own return policy, and can not be returned for refund directly through Future Retro. Please contact that dealer to learn about their policies.